Exit Song
by osheaa
Summary: (This is a sequel of In Pieces.) The humans are travelling across the country to live with Nate's clan after the Seekers found the caves. Ian is struggling with the aftermath from when he was held captured by the Seekers, and his brother's death. On the road, a conflict occur, which leaves Ian thinking he'll have to go through the same pain all over again.
1. Nightmares

**I don't own The Host. Stephenie Meyer does.**

**This is a sequel of In Pieces, so if you haven't read that one yet, I recommend you go do that first :) **

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1. Nightmares

**Ian's POV**

_Seeker Thomas is standing with his back against me. I can't see what he is doing now. But at the moment, I really don't care. My arms are burning, and I can hardly see anything but blood on them. Is that his plan? To carve the skin away, piece by piece?_

_Then he turns around, holding a glowing iron rod in one of his hands. He's wearing gloves so he won't burn himself on it. My breathing gets heavier as I start to panic._

_"WHERE ARE THEY?" The Seeker shouts. "WHERE ARE THE HUMANS HIDING?"_

"_Please, don't," I cry. I'm trying to move in my chair, trying to get away somehow. But no matter how hard I try, it just feels like the ropes are getting tighter._

_Seeker Thomas cuts the rope that is tied around my chest with a knife he picks up, and then he throws it behind his shoulder._

_"You don't want me to do this, Ian," he pleads as he push my head down so all I can see is my stomach."Tell me," he demands. I keep on groaning, keep on making terrified noises. It's like I can't breathe._

_"TELL ME!" He shouts, but he doesn't wait for an answer this time. The iron tears it's way through my shirt, and through the skin on my back like a razor blade. I can _hear _the sound of hot iron sizzling when it sinks into my skin. It keeps going deeper and deeper..._

**Wanda's POV**

Ian awakes us with a howl.

"NO!" He screams while throwing himself around in the bed, with tears streaming down his face.

"Ian," I say and lay my hand on his chest, trying to calm him down. His eyes flash open. I can see that the nightmare is still flashing through mind, and I give him time so he can come back to himself. Brandt gives me an irritated look, but I ignore him.

Everyone but Ian looks concerned out the windows and at the door. Did someone hear us? Are they going to check up on us?

The only sound we can hear at the moment is Jeb's snoring._ Of course he didn't wake up_, I think to myself. His hearing has been slightly less functional after we attacked the souls that found the caves. He was pretty close to the grenade when it exploded. Luckily, his hearing is still there somehow, just not as much as before.

After a while, Trudy breaks the silence with a sigh.

"This has to stop," she says and rubs her eyes. "He can't keep screaming like that. We are in the middle of soul-city for God's sake."

I gaze at her. "It's not like he can do anything about it," I say and begin stroking his hair.

"Well, _we _can. Just tape his mouth whenever he is going to sleep," she suggests and looks at Ian.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Melanie says and stare angrily at Trudy.

"With _me_? I am not the one who is waking the whole fucking city up!"

"Maybe we should tape _your _filthy mouth-"

"Guys. Guys!" Ian says as he cuts Trudy's and Melanie's discussion off. He sits up in the bed and lays his head in his hands. "I know that I'm making things difficult-"

"The hell you are", Trudy cuts in angry.

"Shut up, Trudy," Melanie says. Jared is laying next to her on the sofa, and there is barely room for the both of them there. Jared doesn't want to be a part of this discussion anymore, he has already been through it a million times. He knows that Ian can't help it.

Sunny is also being very quiet, but that is how she's always been. Can't really expect her to say her opinion about something. She is too shy.

"What if you just leave me here?" Ian says and looks up from his hands. I try to protest, but he continues. "I'll find myself a car and travel by myself from now on. I'll find Nate's cabins in no time."

"No, Ian, I won't let you do that," I say and shake my head. The though of leaving Ian behind breaks my heart. I know that he can't travel by himself. He can't even fill gas at the gas station anymore, because he is afraid that he'll get captured again. He hasn't told me, but I know just by looking him in the eyes. He is terrified.

"I think that is a great idea," Trudy says. Melanie throws a shoe at Trudy's head this time. Brandt starts to laugh.

"Ouch!" She says and rubs her head.

"He is _not _going to be left alone anymore," Melanie stated. I smile grateful to her. She knows what is right, and she even knows what I want. All the time. She is the closest thing I can get to a sister.

"I'm very glad you won't leave me behind, but-" I stop his mouth with my finger.

"No, Ian. You'll stay," I demand. Then he doesn't say anything more.

"Try and go back to sleep now," Jared says tired with his eyes still closed. He wraps his arms around Melanie and buries his head in her hair.

"Okay," Melanie whispers and closes her eyes, too.

Trudy hasn't calmed down yet. She looks up at Ian apologetically. "Ian, maybe you should-"

"Yeah, I know," he says. "I'll just... go for a walk then."

"I'm going with you," I say and put my jacket on. He doesn't protest, just takes my hand and I follow him out the door.

"I need some fresh air, anyway," he murmurs as he closes the door behind himself.


	2. Split Up

2. Split Up

**Wanda's POV**

We walk around in the woods for a while. Ian didn't want to go to the park or along the road. He wants to stay as far away from the souls as possible. Partly because every single soul knows who he is, because he has been on the news all the time. But apart from that, I thought that after he was released from the souls, that he'd might get better after a while. But he is only getting worse. The nightmares are tearing him up. I feel so helpless.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I ask and begin to stroke his hand.

"Nah," he says and frowns. "It's the same old, you know. _He _beats me up, and keeps going and going... until he tears me apart somehow."

Ian looks at me. I can see the pain he is trying to hide in his eyes. He tries to smile at me, but looks away again.

"Wanda," he says. "I have to leave you."

I stare at him, a little hurt. "No," I simply say and take both of his hands in mine.

"But I am putting everybody in danger!" He says, a little louder than he'd normally speak. He is angry with himself. Actually, he is angry with him self all of the time. He keeps blaming himself for the fact that we had to leave the caves, and he blames himself for his brother's death. Now he blames himself for something that hasn't even happened.

"You can't keep blaming yourself for everything, Ian," I say.

"Why can't I? It's my fault, isn't it?" He says frustrated.

"How can anything be your fault, Ian?"

"Because I got caught!" He says angry. His grip around my hands is getting tighter.

"Ian..."

He looks down at my hands and let them go immediately. "I'm sorry, Wanda. I didn't mean to-"

"Shh. It's okay."

We begin to walk again, and this time his grip around my hand is soft and warm.

When we get back to the motel about two hours later, when the sun is starting to rise, Ian stops outside the door.

"What is it?" I ask.

"Shh," he says and lays his finger to his mouth.

"She can choose for herself," Jeb says. I listen closer, even though I feel awful eavesdropping.

"Alright, then," Brandt says bitter. "Who do you want to go with?"

I push Ian aside and walk inside. "Are we splitting up?" I almost shout as I get in.

Jeb looks up at me from the sofa. "Wanda, you need to understand-"

"That we don't want Ian along anymore," Trudy finishes with a sharp voice. Melanie and Jared stands in the corner, like they have given up on this. They know that we have to split up.

"What?" I say, almost angry, but my voice fails.

"You can go along with him, you know," Trudy says. "But for me, I'd rather not. I don't want to get caught because of his nightmares." She looks at Ian with a pleading look "I'm sorry, Ian, I know this is hard for you and all, but it's too risky."

"No, it's fine. I understand," he says.

"I don't believe you, Trudy!" I say. She looks shocked.

"Wanda..." Trudy pleads, trying to make me understand somehow. But I don't. Ian has been nothing but good to these people ever since he came, and they just stab him in the back.

"Then I'll go with you," I say.

"But what if-"

"No. I'll go with you. End of discussion." I decide.

"If it's okay with you," Sunny's tiny voice says, and everybody looks at her. She has barely spoken in days. Ever since Kyle was killed she has been oddly silent. But it is very understandable. She loved him. "If it's okay with you, I'll go with Ian and Wanda."

I nod and smile at her. Ian does the same. "Okay, Sunny," he says. "But if I get caught, don't get in their way," he says warningly.

"Same goes for you Wanda. Just run, or lie or..."

"We'll be fine, Ian," I assure him.

**Ian's POV**

Finally, after everyone else has been in the bathroom, I've gotten my long lost shower. After I've dried my hair I put the towel around my waist and walk out to the main room.

As the sun is rising higher and higher, the room gets less crowded. Jared, Melanie, Brandt, Sunny, Jeb, Trudy, Wanda and me, all sleeping in the same motel-room, well... Can't say I've gotten too much privacy.

The others from the caves are probably in another city, already on the move. They've also probably had enough sleep. I could use a good nights sleep for a change. Can't remember last time I didn't _fear _falling asleep. The nightmares won't go away.

We had to go in different directions, so we wouldn't gain any unnecessary attention. I keep wondering where Kyle is; California, Oregon, Ohio... But then I remember; he is dead.

As I am about to change my shirt, someone comes in, and I hear a tiny gasp behind me. It's no louder than a quick inhale, but I can still hear it. I begin to shake at once, and quickly starts to plan an escape. Through the window, maybe? Is it even possible to open?

Maybe I have to fight the soul off, kill it before it can contact the Seekers. The soul will know I am human when I turn around.

I look behind me, ready to jump on the soul, but it's only Trudy. Thought I would be relieved, but I feel rather irritated. She is still staring at my back, but moves her eyes over to my chest when she sees the same burn-marks there.

Every single time I take off my shirt or drag my sleeves up, someone sees my scared skin and just _have _to make sure I see their reaction. At least that's how it feels like. Or maybe the scars just scare them. But I am getting pretty sick of the "big surprise" they seem to get.

"What?" I ask irritated. "It's not like you haven't seen it before."

She looks offended, but tries to get a softer expression at once. "Actually, Ian, I haven't. I... I didn't know it was-"

"So bad?" I cut her off. "Trudy, I know that you can't stand the fact that I can't control myself, and I get it. But please, just leave me alone."

She looks sad at me, and takes her bag to carry it out in the car. I know I was being mean to her, but she hasn't exactly been my best friend for the past couple of days. It's like I'm the new alien. And she doesn't want me here.

"What was that about?" Jared says as he comes back in. He doesn't even take a quick look down at my scars. I appreciate that.

"Nothing. But I actually think it's for the best that Trudy and I won't be traveling together," I admit.

"Look, Ian, I could go with you if you-"

"No, it's fine. Really. You are safer without me. And you have to look after Melanie, right?" I say and smile to him.

"All right, then," he says. He picks up a few bags that lies on the bed and throw them over his shoulder. "Time to go."


	3. Conflicted

3. Conflicted

**Wanda's POV**

"Oh my God, Sunny, I can't believe it," Ian says angry while banging his hands on the wheel.

"Ian..." I say and lay my hand over one of his to make him stop.

"Do you see any gas stations around here? Do you? Fill the gas, I told you. But no, you fucking forgot it. You had _one _task, Sunny. _One._" he says and points a finger at the girl sitting on the other side of me.

"I'm sorry," she mumbles afraid and flinch away from the finger he's pointing at her.

"It's okay Sunny, we'll just call Jeb," I assure her and give Ian a warning look. This has to stop. I can't believe how fast Ian can snap now a days. His words are just pouring out of his mouth without him even thinking them through. Doesn't he know that he scares Sunny? She is not used to this violent behavior.

"And where will we get a phone, Wanda, when Jeb is the only one that has one?"

"I can call him," Sunny says. "I'll just ask someone that lives around here. They are all so nice, anyway."

"Yeah, right, like we can trust you now," Ian spits out angry and stare out the window.

"Ian, we have to try," I say. "Neither of us can do it."

"Why?" He asks. "Because _I _am wanted? Because _my _face is all over the news? That doesn't mean you can't borrow a freaking phone."

"I'm not leaving you here alone, or alone with Sunny," I say it as it is. "We'll wait here, Sunny, and you'll call Jeb, all right? I'm sure he is not far away." Sunny nods one time and walks out of the car. Ian stares at her as she begins to walk towards one of the houses that's around.

"You know," he says. "We could just steal a car."

"We are not stealing anything, Ian. Jeb will come back with some gas, and we'll be up and running in no time."

"This is silly," he says and shakes his head.

"What's going on anyway?" I ask. "Why are you acting like this?"

"Like what?"

"You are angry all the time... It scares me, Ian," I admit and give him a concerned look.

He looks a little taken aback. "I'm sorry Wanda," he says and begin stroking my cheek. "I'm so sorry, I don't quite know why myself..."

"Just try," I say. "Try to be nice." He nods, and I lay my head on his shoulder.

After a while, Sunny comes back.

"We'll have to wait for quite some time," she says as she opens the door. "Jeb asked us to meet him at the nearest motel."

"Why can't we just stay here?" Ian asks, but changes his mind when I give him a warning look. "All right, then," he says. "Look, Sunny, I'm sorry about what I said. I'm sorry if I scared you... I'm just... stressed out."

"It's okay, Ian. I understand," she says.

We check into the nearest motel, like Sunny said. She walks in to get a key to a room while Ian and I wait for her outside.

She finally comes back, with the key in her hand. "This motel is so pretty. I mean, for a motel. And the pool is _huge_," she says and picks up her bag from the ground where she left it. We had to carry put baggage all the way from where the car stopped. It wasn't very long, but Sunny is a small girl, and the bag might have been heavy. I wouldn't know, anyway, because Ian carried mine.

"We should get some sleep, now," she suggests walks over to the door and unlocks it.

"Don't you think she is oddly chatty right now?" Ian murmurs to me as we follow her inside.

"She is just comfortable being around us," I whisper back.

"Are you sure it's okay for you that I... take a nap?" Ian asks us both. He doesn't just look tired, he even sounds tired.

"Of course," both me and Sunny says at the same time.

"Okay," he mumbles and falls down on one of the beds. I lay down next to him, while Sunny takes the second bed.  
After a while, sleep finally comes.


	4. Betrayed

4. Betrayed

**Ian's POV**

I wake with a jerk, but this time it's not because of the nightmare. Someone was knocking on the door. I feel the shaking kicks in at once.

"It's okay, Ian," Wanda says and takes my hand. "It's just Jeb."

"Oh, right," I say. Of course. It's just Jeb, no worries.

Wanda gets out of bed and walks over to the door and opens it. And surely enough, it is Jeb. I breathe out, relieved.

"Hi, Jeb. Thank you for coming. Our car ran out of gas, so we had to... Jeb?" Wanda says suspicious and looks at Jeb, who looks like he has just seen a ghost. I jump out of bed and grab my gun discretely.

"Jeb, are you all right?" I ask and walk slowly towards the man in the door. I'm not sure if he is still himself, so I reach out for the flashlight, but just then I hear someone scream.

"Wanda!" A familiar voice warns. I get chills all over my body as I hear how scared she sounds. Behind Jeb, someone drags Melanie along with a gun at her head.

_No, no, no. Not again._ I'm shaking so hard, and my heart is pounding like hell.

"Drop the gun, Ian. You don't want anyone to get hurt, do you?" One of the Seekers says. I flinch when I hear the Seeker saying my name.

"Where are the others?" Wanda shouts terrified. Someone is pointing a gun at her, too. No one answers her. Instead, Jeb drops dead on the floor as a bullet blast through his scull. Wanda screams.

"No!" Melanie cries and tries to run over to him, but the Seeker holds her back.

"All right! All right, I'll just lay it here, okay? See?" I say with a shaking voice and put the gun gently down on the floor. Everything feels so surreal to me. It doesn't feel real. The sight of Jeb's dead body doesn't even affect me. How can I be so cold?

A few seekers comes in and tackles me to the floor. Then I look up at Sunny who is standing aside, watching everything like she doesn't care. Then she smiles at me.

"Sunny?" I ask confused. She comes closer to me and bends down till she is a feet away from my face. I look at her in shock. I would never have guessed that Sunny was like this.

"You killed him," she whispers. "You killed my love. You killed you _brother._" These words hurt more to me than anything, because they are true. He wouldn't have been dead if it weren't for me. Now I've been caught again. I'll never learn.

"You betrayed us," I say with a cracking voice.

The seekers pull me up from the floor with my hands cuffed behind my back. I look over to the others. Wanda is being taken away by just one seeker. She can barely keep herself together. Her face is soaking with tears.

"Don't you dare hurt them!" I shout out and begin to wriggle back and forth. I know what is coming. We've killed a lot of their seekers. They wants to avenge us. They want to execute every single one of us. We killed their family, now they wants to kill ours.


	5. Changed

5. Changed

**Wanda's POV**

The souls are out of control. It's like the human bodies are eating them up. At one point, I knew that this would happen to them. It's already happening to me. I can get angry, and souls don't get angry. Maybe one day I can get violent, too. Souls normally doesn't act the way they are doing now. I should have already been sent on my way to another planet. Melanie should have been taken over by now. And Jeb, too, for that matter. But he is dead. They killed him.

I don't know where Ian is. All I know is that they haven't killed him yet. The Seekers have been turned into some very evil creatures over the past few weeks. They've turned human. Worse than human, actually. More like monsters.

I remember Ian talking about this room one time. The glass cell. Luckily, I'm not alone in here. Melanie is sitting on the bench, while I walk stressed back and forth.

"Don't worry, Wanda, Jared will fix this," she says while trying to calm me down. I'm glad Jared got away. But I know that there is not much hope left for us. Jared won't be safe for too long.

"Where are Trudy and Brandt anyway?" I ask.

"Trudy is with Jared, and Brandt... He came here with me and... Jeb." She says sad. I sit down next to her. The loss of Jeb is tearing her apart, I can see it. And I know it, because it tears me apart, too. They shot him right in front of our eyes.

"Do you think Brandt is..." I begin to say, but I can't finish the sentence.

"I don't know," Melanie answers in a trembling voice.

Then I hear a scream. A heartbreaking scream I've been hearing every night for the past few weeks.

"IAN!" I yell. "LEAVE HIM ALONE!" I run towards the glass wall, desperately trying to shatter the wall somehow. Ian screams again, even louder. It's coming from some place in the eastern hall. And it is close.

"What are they doing to him?" Melanie asks in shock.

A Seeker comes over to us. She stops outside the door, but doesn't say anything. I look at her, with a lot of hatred. The last person I've ever looked at like that was my Seeker, but I hate the Seeker that is standing in front of me more. I _hate _her.

"Don't make him go through that again!" I yell at her.

"We will not stop until we get what we want," the Seeker answers in a calm voice.

"What can you possibly want from us? You've taken everything," I say, and tears begin to stream down my face again.

"Not everything," she answers cold and turns around and walks back to where she came from.

"Then take me, not him!" I shout out and start banging on the glass walls. But she doesn't come back.

"How could Sunny do such thing?" I ask myself frustrated.

"I knew she couldn't be trusted from the minute-"

"But she wasn't like that until Kyle was shot," I point out. "Does she really blame Ian for what happened?"

"No, that's not possible. Ian didn't do anything wrong, and she knows it. Maybe she was just terribly love sick..."

The screaming continues, and all I can do is begging them to stop. This is unbearable. This is like torture.


	6. Fragile

6. Fragile

**Ian's POV**

I crawl back into the corner and lay my head in my hands when the Seekers walk out the door again. "This isn't happening," I mumble to myself and begin rocking back and forth.

Wanda's scream still rings in my ears. What are they doing to her? Whatever it is, why can't they just do it to me instead? I've already been through it, I'm sure I can take it.

I thought the Seekers might beat me up or something when they came inside. But they all just stood there, like statues, and looked at me. Waited. Did they wait for me to burst out in answers or tears? Because they got one of them, all right.  
Then she screams again, and I have to cover my ears.

No pain on earth would break me, I thought. But I've never been more wrong.

I was prepared to get beaten again, or stabbed or burned or maybe even killed, but I wasn't prepared for this. They have barely touched me. The only pain they have given me is by hurting Wanda. I was wrong when I thought they were thinking that pain was my weakness. Wanda is my weakness. Everything that revolves around her affects me, whether it's sadness or pain, happiness or anger.

It's like we are connected, and if one is destroyed, so is the other. But they figured it out, and now they are using it against me.

Even though I've covered my ears the best I can, Wanda's screams fill my head over and over again. I bounce off the floor and run over to the door, an try to get it open. Of course, it is locked.

"Stop it!" I shout and try to see through the window on the door if any of the Seekers can hear me. No one reacts.

After a long time of pounding and shouting, a few Seekers come over, the same as last time. I step back at once and wait for them to come in.

I run over to the Seeker who comes in first and smacks him to the floor at once. Before any of the Seekers can react to what I just did, I attempt to get past the three other Seekers that block the door by running right into them. They hold me back while I keep pushing on. "WANDA!" I scream as loudly as I can.

"Calm down," one of the Seekers says while they push me back into the room. They come closer and closes the door behind themselves. I fall down on my back.

"Just stop hurting her," I say with a rusty voice and stare at the ceiling, unable to get up on my feet again. I feel so weak, even though I don't lack any of the important psychical needs. I lack the emotional strength It's like I can't carry on without knowing that Wanda's okay. And I know she is not. They're torturing her. "What do you want from us?" I ask them.

"Peace on earth, Ian. That's what we want. And we can't get that with you humans still walking on earth," someone says.

"Wanda is a soul," I say angrily. "It's bad enough that you want to obliterate humans, but how can you possibly think of hurting someone of your _own _kind? "

No one answers. They just start walking out the door. As they leave, I get a glimpse of what's outside the room. And I recognize it so very well. The halls where I walked everyday for two weeks, the glass walls, the white furniture. And my old cell.

I frown when I see movement inside it. It's not empty. I get to my feet at once, and once again I try to run out the door before the Seekers shuts it. I push one of them out of my way and manage to get about ten feet closer to the glass cell before someone holds me back. But I don't move.

"Wanda?" I say puzzled and frown. She is in there. Just as beautiful as she was when we were at the motel. No wounds, no blood. No screaming. Just a terrified look when she gaze back and sees me. She copies my expression, and I can only imagine that her thoughts are just the same as mine. They tricked us.

Then someone hits me in the head with something hard. Like a baseball bat. I fall down on the floor at once and everything starts spinning.

I wince when I look up to the ceiling, with a Seeker standing over me with some kind of a wood staff. I cover my face with my hands before the Seeker hit me again, this time on my side. I groan loudly in pain as I feel my ribbons ache. My hands instantly drop down like it's a reflex. Then the seeker hits me in the head again, and knocks me out. The last thing I hear is Wanda screaming my name. This time, it's real.

**Wanda's POV**

I watch as they drag Ian's slack body away from my sight. My throat is aching from my crying and begging. Now all I can do is to let my tears stream down, and wait for my eyes to dry out. Melanie is standing beside me in shock, and hasn't moved a muscle.

Finally she breathes heavily out, like she held her breath this whole time. "He was fine," she says while staring at where Ian was lying a minute ago. "Until now, at least," she adds.

"Then who was screaming all this time?" I ask.

"Ian. Or at least it _was _Ian. They must have recorded it or something," Melanie says. I think about this for a while. It's weird. Because when Ian came out of the room, he looked... surprised. Like he didn't expect to see me.

"They have probably just been messing with you this whole time," Melanie continues. "That's sick."

"Melanie," I say and clear my throat as another though comes to my mind. "If they recorded it... That means that those screams was from when he was tortured by that Seeker Jared shot."

Melanie shivers by the thought. "Sick," she repeats and walks over to the bench to sit down. I feel like I have to sit down too. But I m too dizzy to walk all the way over to the bench, so I sit down right where I am, on the floor.

"What do you think they will do to him now?" I ask, even though I really don't want an answer.

"The question is what they will do to us," Melanie says and stare at something behind me. I jump when I see a Seeker standing right behind the glass wall I'm leaning my back against while unlocking the door.

I slip away from the wall and climb up next to Melanie as the door opens, and the Seeker comes in.


	7. Fooled

7. Fooled

**Ian's POV**

_He slips over to me, with the bloody fork in his hand. I start laughing at the stupid thing he has chosen to stab me with. A fork. I eat salad with that thing._

_"Oh, you think this is funny?" Seeker Thomas asks amused. "Well then this is about to get hilarious!" He shouts and tears the fork through the skin of my arm. I try to scream, but it's like I've lost my voice. I can't speak, I can't move, I can't stop the pain. All I can do is feel it, and watch as the skin slowly starts to crumble away. It feels like my throat is filled with soil, and it feels dry and heavy. The blood is floating out of the wound, and I catch a glimpse of my bone just before the whole thing is ripped apart._

"Aaaaaahh!" I awake myself with a scream, and my throat is rusty and dry. Like I've been screaming for a long time. The dream is slowly starting to fade away, and I try to calm down. When I finally get myself together, I am prepared to be laying on a table with my hands bound, or strapped to a chair just waiting for the physical pain to occur. But I wake up on the floor in the same room as

I've been sitting in all along. My head hurts like hell, though, so I guess they haven't used their magic cure on me. Didn't expect it, either.

With difficulty, I drag myself up from the floor and try to stand up, but fall right back down again when things begin to spin.

I can barely move. They hit me with a fucking stick, and I can't move? Well, that must be one of those sticks with superpowers, because there is no way that little thing could knock someone out. They could have just used some of that sleepy-spray on me.

I wonder what they will do now that both me and Wanda knows what they've been doing all along. Now that we know about their little trick. But for now, Wanda is safe, and that is all that matters.

I sit and stare at the wall for a very long time, mainly because there is nothing but floor, walls and ceiling in this room. There is a door with a tiny window, though, which gives me some entertainment when souls walk by. Other than that, nothing.

My stomach makes a rumbling noise. I haven't gotten any food yet. I don't even know if they'll give us food.

What if they are trying to weaken us?

No. They won't do that. They are different that Seeker Thomas, they must be. But the fact that they've thrown away that spray that can make someone fall asleep instantly, and they would rather knock someone out with a wood staff, makes me makes me wonder. Maybe Seeker Thomas wasn't the only one. Maybe the whole species is changing. Maybe it's some kind of a revolution that wasn't planned, it just happened.

That is not a good thing for Wanda, Melanie and me. We'll might end up like Jeb. Or even worse; we'll be kept alive.

The door comes up and a Seeker pushes a familiar girl inside while mumbling something about five minutes, and then he leaves.

"Wanda!" I breathe relieved and force myself to get to my feet and walk over to her. I embrace her as soon as I get close. "Are you okay?" I ask and look straight into her silver eyes. I lay my hand on her cheek.

"Yeah, I'm okay," she says and gives me a little smile, but not enough to convince me. I give her a questioning look.

She looks scared, and she hesitates when she is trying to come up with something to say.

"What?" I ask suspicious. "What have they done to you?"

Wanda just shakes her head and look down, carefully pushing my hand away from her face. I let her take it away, but I can't take my eyes of her.

"Where are the others?" She asks after a moment of complete silence.

"What?" I say and frown.

"You know... The ones that got away," she says.

Why would she ask where the others are when she knows just as little as I do?

"You mean... Charles and Jane?" I ask her, hoping she won't notice my suspicions. I feel bad about testing her like this, but I have to. I need to be sure.

"Yes."

My body freezes for a second as the chills are running through my body.

I manage to hold the panic I'm feeling inside. I have to go with it. Pretend like I don't know what is going on. They are trying to mess with my head again.

_What have they done to her? I have to find her._ I think, over and over until the girl in front of me begin stroking my arm to get my attention.

"Ian?" She says in Wanda's soothing voice. The hand that is moving up and down on my arm is just as soft as Wanda's touch. Just like the soul that stood before me just a few days ago, this soul is using the body in the way Wanda does. The way she speaks, the way she touches me. But the soul in front of me is not Wanda.

"Uh... They... they..." I stammer. I can't focus. But I have to. "In Mercer, Ohio, I think. At least that's what... _Jane_ said when I talked to her on the phone," I lie and look after some kind of disbelief in her eyes. There's none.

"Good for them," she says and takes a grip around my hand. She notices the shaking at once. She is trying to back up. She knows I have revealed her. But I'm not letting go of her hand. Instead I drag her closer and looks pleading into her eyes.

"Ian, let go of me," she says, still calm.

I ignore her question. "Where is she?" I ask in a low, frustrated voice, begging for The Seekers to not pay attention to what's going on. She doesn't answer at first, so I grab her shoulders and shake her while asking again furiously, "Where is she?"

"It's me, it's me," she says, pleading as well. She looks terrified.

"I know you're lying," I say and push her up against the wall. "I don't know who the fuck Charles and Jane are, and neither does Wanda. Now tell me where she is or I'll break your neck!" I almost shout to her, but remember to keep my voice down.

"You wouldn't do that. This has been her body for months. You don't have the heart," the soul says. I stop for a moment, with Wanda's host still struggling in my grip.

"There are other Seekers standing right outside the door, anyway. They wouldn't let you hurt me, " she says and smiles, knowing that she won. Thinking I'm just a weak human being.

But I put her down, and she walks right over the door at once, and knocks three times on it. A few seconds later, a Seeker unlocks the door, and lets the soul come out. The Seeker looks straight into my eyes – his eyes so wide I can see the brown eye color that is almost completely hidden by the silvery circle around - with some kind of a look I can't put my finger on. Like he is waiting for something.

"Reader, let's go," Wanda's voice says and pulls the Seeker called Reader in the arm. He is still gazing at me while he closes the door.

And then I'm left alone, still starting at the door long after they've gone, completely shattered by the though of where Wanda might be.

In a warehouse. In a can.

What if they've sent her away from Earth? What if all I've got left of Wanderer is how she used to look like as a human? What if I'll never see my Wanderer again?

* * *

If I had to guess, I'd say I've been sitting in this room for about five hours now wondering what was going on with Wanda. Of course I can't be sure. After all, I am in a completely isolated _box. _I'm just staring at the wall, and sometimes I've moved over to another corner of the room to get some variation, but I've never stopped thinking about her. Where she might be, what they will do to her, or if they'll ever be so generous and put her back in her body. But if they did that, I'm sure they would just mess with my head again. Or maybe hers this time.

I just wish I could do something about it. Anything. Break out of this box and sneak around to find her, her body, and Melanie. Get Wanda back in there. I know how it's done. It's easy and quick, and I'm sure we would find the equipment we needed for it. And then we'd escape together.

_What a stupid idea, _I think to myself. Of course it wouldn't work. And I've already tried to kick the door open a million times. And now my leg just hurts. The door could practically be sealed with cement.

Just then, like a feather, the door slides open a moment later and a few Seekers are standing in the doorway with disturbing looks in their eyes. I recognize one of the Seekers from last. Reader. It's the look in his eyes again, this time it's more intense. This is what he's been waiting for.

I feel my pulse rise and my hands shaking. The hairs are rising in my neck and I push myself up the wall in a hopeless attempt to break though it.

There is only one exit, and two Seeker are blocking it while two other slips over to where I'm crawling up to a ball, with their tasers reached out to me. I can hear the electricity as they get closer. With one, fast movement I reach out my leg and kick Reader in the leg, and he loses his balance for a second. But it was not enough. The taser strikes into the side of my neck the moment I try to run away, and I feel it all the way to the bones. The pain is overwhelming. The only thing I can do to make it go away, is to give in. So I close my eyes.


	8. Hurt

8. Hurt

**Wanda's POV**

There are no final memories flashing through my mind as I wake up. It's like I've never left. I don't know how long I've been gone. All I know is that I'm back in the same body as I left in. And I have no clue what they used this body for while they had it. They know they can't find information from hosts that haven't lived a life for themselves.

"Wanderer," someone says. My eyes flash open, and I stare up at a man whose maybe in the early thirties. He is wearing a black suit and has silvery eyes, with slight of a brown color on the iris. A Seeker. "There is someone who wants to talk to you," the man says kindly and helps me up from the table I lie on.

He walks me to a part of the building I've never been to. There are less souls around here. It looks kind of deserted.

He stops in front of a door and knocks three times on it.

"Yes," someone answers inside.

"Do as you're told, and this will be so much easier," he says to me before he lets me in.

He locks the door behind me and leaves.

The room is small and dark. And old. There are stone walls and stone floors, and the only light source to the room is from an old lamp in the center of the ceiling. It matches Ian's description of where he was tortured perfectly.

A Seeker is sitting by a table with his hands folded, and he signals me to sit down on the other side.

I hesitate for a moment. I don't like this room. It gives me the chills. But I slowly begin to walk over to the chair. But then I hear a painful groan coming from the left side of the room.

My heart nearly stops when I see it. I run over to the man laying in the corner, with his hands and feet tangled up in chains. I turn him over so I can see his face.

"Ian," I sob and look down at his face, covered in blood and bruises. His eyes try to focus, but they keep rolling back.

"Get away," he mumbles fatigued and try to push me away, but he is too weak. He let his hands fall back on the floor, and the chains slam down with a clanging sound.

"Oh, Ian, I'm so sorry," I cry, and I want to hold him so badly. But he doesn't think I'm myself.

"You're monsters," he says in a cracking voice and shuts his eyes.

"Ian?" I almost shriek when he stops moving. "Ian?"

"Don't worry, Wanderer. He's been passing in and out of consciousness for the past days. He'll wake up again in just a few minutes, I'm sure," the Seeker says.

"_Days_?" I ask terrified and turn around to look at him. He is looking strangely calm. "He's been lying in here for _days_? Like _that_?" I ask frustrated and point down at Ian's broken body.

"At least he isn't trying to attack us anymore," the Seeker says and shrugs.

"Why are you doing this to him? Why can't you just do it to me?"

"Because then we wouldn't get the answers we want. Seeker Thomas – may he rest in peace – already tried that method you are talking about on Ian. But _I_ though," he says with pride in his voice. "I thought that if we turn the thing around, and take the loved ones instead, it might work out. We didn't really want to hurt you, but that didn't work out either. So... here we are. And I'm sure this time; it will work."

"What is _wrong _with you? Can't you see what you are doing?" I yell. "After everything he has been through! You've ruined him, and now you are trying to make it even worse?"

"Please, Wanderer, sit."

I do as he says, in fear that he might do something bad if I don't listen to him. But that doesn't change the fact that I can't stand this Seeker. Or any Seeker at all for that matter.

"First of all," he says. "He is not one of us. He is an _animal_. And _he _is the monster, not us."

"You're-"

"Please, let me finish," he says, cutting me off. "How many souls have these humans killed? A wild guess? And how many humans have _we _killed?"

"You killed Jeb."

"That is _one_."

The door opens, and the Seeker that lead me here comes back in, with a tray in his hands filled with different sorts of drinks.

"Oh, finally, Reader. I'm drying out."

"Here," Reader says and tosses a bottle of water over to the Seeker I'm talking to. "Do you want anything, Wanderer? Water, soda, juice?"

"No," I say and look over to Ian whose still lying unconscious on the floor. "Has he gotten anything to drink or eat at all?" I ask.

"You can give him some water when he wakes up, I guess," Reader says and puts a bottle in front of me. The other Seeker gives him a hard look, but Reader just shakes his head and takes a seat next to him.

"You can't let him die of thirst," Reader says.

"Well, then it's a good thing we've got the girl, too. What's her name again?" The Seeker asks. I don't react right away, because I'm still staring down at Ian. But then the Seeker gets up from his chair and walks over to him.

"No, stop!" I cry out. The Seeker stops right next to Ian's legs and turns around to look at me. "I'm sorry," I say. "Her name is Melanie."

"That's right," he says and comes back to sit down again. I don't calm down until he crosses his legs.

"You know what we want to know, so I don't think it's necessary with any more introduction questions," The Seeker says.

"Just tell us where they are going, and we won't do anything to him," Reader says and glances at Ian for a moment before he looks back at me. He is like the nice cop. Trying to at least. But he will hurt Ian if he has too. And I hate him for that.

I don't want to answer the question, because my answer will be just the same as my silence is to them. Worthless.

"Let me give you some motivation," the Seeker says and goes back over to Ian. Reader stands up, too, probably to stop me if I try to get in the Seekers way.

"Please, don't, just ask me something else," I beg and cry.

The Seeker doesn't stop. He kicks Ian one time in the stomach so hard that Ian's eyes flash open in pain. Then he kneels down beside him, grabs him in the shoulders, and pushes him against the wall.

"No, please!" I scream and run right into Reader when I try to get to him.

"Take this," Reader whispers so only I can hear. I look up at him in confusion, while the Seeker keeps hitting Ian over and over again. The sound of his fist punching Ian's face, mixed with painful groaning, makes it easier for Reader to explain himself without the Seeker noticing. "Take the key, go find Melanie and Brandt and get down in the basement. There's a parking garage there, all right? I'll get Ian."

I still don't understand why he is saying this to me, but he drops a key down in my hands and give me a push towards the door. The Seeker is so busy beating Ian that he doesn't notice that I leave until Reader attacks him from behind.

I run all I can towards the cells with the key in my hand.


	9. Frightened

9. Frightened

**Wanda's POV**

There are very few Seekers here now. It's night, and most of them are sitting by their desks, writing on their computers.

I sneak over to the glass cell, where Melanie is sleeping.

Her eyes open up when I unlock the door, and without a sound she moves quickly out of the cell. We walk down the hall in silence until there is no one around. Melanie is boiling over with questions.

"What happened? How did you get here? Where is Ian?"

"There's a Seeker that told me to get you and Brandt down to the parking garage, and he's going to bring Ian," I say.

"Wanda, do you really think he is _helping _us?" She asks upset.

"Yes, I do in fact. He is probably still beating up that other Seeker as we speak."

"What?" She asks confused.

"Do you know where Brandt is?" I ask her. I know we have to be quick.

"No. But probably around where Ian was held," she says. We turn around and run soundlessly back to where we were.

We look into no more than three cells before we find Brandt on the floor in one of the cells, sleeping.

"Brandt," Melanie whispers and shakes him. He wakes up with a jerk, but calm down at once when he see who we are.

"What are you doing here?" He asks dazed.

"There's no time to explain, but we've got to get out now," I say.

"You're not going anywhere," someone behind us says. There is a female Seeker standing in the doorway. Brandt run over to her and knocks her out right before she starts to call for help. This one time I am thankful for violence.

We run over to the stairs – too paranoid to take the elevator.

I hear the sound of a car when we get into the garage, and run towards it without hesitating. Brandt stops at once when he sees Reader behind the wheel.

"Brandt?" I ask.

"We are riding with _him_? Wanda, that guy is one of them."

"You can trust him. Trust me."

Just then, a couple of other Seekers come running towards us, and we don't get more time to think. So we jump in the car and drift further and further away from the Seekers that are hopelessly trying to start their own cars.

"I had time to take out some important stuff while waiting for you," Reader says with a smile. "Took you long enough," he adds and gives me a questioning look.

"We came as fast as we could," I say. "Where is Ian?"

"In the trunk," Reader admits. I'm about to shout at him, but he interrupts me. "He was going all crazy when I tried to put him in the backseat!"

"Wonder why!" I spew sarcasm and cross my arms.

"It's not like he can get any worse..." Reader mumbles to himself.

"What?" Brandt and Mel asks at the same time, both looking at me.

"They've been abusing him again," I say through clenched teeth and automatically look at Reader.

"Look, I'm only trying to help you, all right?" Reader says.

"I'm sorry, I'm just very upset and tired of this," I admit. "Where are we going?"

"To Nate's. He and his people lives in the woods, right?" Reader says.

"How did you know that?" Melanie asks.

"Brandt told me," he says. Melanie sends Brandt a angry look. "And only me," Reader adds.

"You can't come, they'll kill you," I say. "You're a Seeker."

"Not anymore I'm not," Reader says and stare at the highway that is reaching out in front of him. I stare at it, too, knowing that it will be the only thing to look at for the next hours.

**Ian's POV**

Are they taking me somewhere so they can burn me to ashes? Am I no use for them anymore?

I hear voices from the Seekers sitting in the car once in a while. The only voice I recognize is Wanda's... Or the soul that has taken over _her_ body. But I can't hear what they are saying. I can't hear anything at all, just humming from the car and the sounds from every time I bang my head in the upper surface of the trunk. My head is about to explode, my body is aching, and the car trip isn't making it any better. Every time the car is turning, I roll over and get slammed into the walls.

After rolling around like this for God knows how long, the car stops. This makes me nervous. What's going on now? Are they going to kill me?

The door of the trunk clicks, and someone begins to open it slowly. But despite my fatigue, I kick it open for them and the door almost hits the Seeker standing over me in the face, but he grabs me and holds me down. It's Reader, the same Seeker that knocked me out before I woke up in that basement-looking room. The same Seeker that beat the Seeker that was torturing me for days. But I keep trying to get him away from me, with my legs wriggling towards him in a stupid attempt to kick him.

"Ian," he says, trying to calm me. "Ian, relax. I'm not going to hurt you."

"Get off me, you fucking-" I shout, but before I can continue, he lays a hand over my mouth.

"Shh, you have to be quiet, all right? We are not there yet." What the hell was he talking about?

"Ian," a well-known voice says. "It's me, okay? And Brandt and Wanda are here, too," She comes over and push Reader aside. He walks away without protests. Brandt is here? I though he was with Jared.

"Reader is on our side. It's me, I promise," she says and looks down at my body, which is all crawled up in the trunk that is way too tiny for it. She frowns, probably because of how I look. She reaches her hand out to my hand, but I flinch away.

She takes out a flashlight and light it in her own eyes. She didn't really have to do that, because I believed her. I've just flinched a lot these days that it's kind of on auto-pilot. "I told you it was me. And please don't be afraid. We just don't want you to lie in the trunk anymore. Wanna come and sit with us?" She asks and helps me up. I believe it is her, but I don't believe that Reader is on their side, or that Wanda is here, even though I see her standing with Brandt. It looks like he is... protecting her.

"What is she doing here?" I say, still with my eyes pinned on the blonde girl.

"I know what you must think, but she is herself again, all right? You have to believe that."

I try to stand up, but my legs fail beneath me, so I have to support myself to the car. I can feel the pain _everywhere_. Every single spot on my body hurts. My legs, my feet, my arms, my back, even my _ears_. Everything. I waddle carefully with my hand on the car, open the door and fall in the backseat without a word. I force myself to sit up in a sitting position, no matter how badly it hurts to drag myself up. The others hesitates for a minute before they come along.

Reader drives, with Brandt in the seat next to. Melanie takes a seat between me and the female Seeker whose managed to fool Melanie to think she is Wanda. I need to warn her and Brandt. This is not good.


	10. Trust

10. Trust

**Wanda's POV**

We arrive at dawn, and as we expected, Jared comes running towards our car. He's carrying a gun. He has probably been waiting for us all night. After we used Reader's phone to call Jared and tell him that we were on our way, he has called back every hour to check up on us. But we had to throw the phone away after a while, in case it got tracked.

Ian has been staring out the window the whole time, hasn't said a word, hasn't moved a muscle. I can see right through him. He is scared. Scared of me.

"Finally, you guys. Jesus, I've been worried sick," Jared says after he's opened the door on my side. He lights inside the car with a flashlight, and he stops at once when he sees Reader. "Who are you?"

Reader turns in his seat to face Jared, and just then, his eyes reflects as the light hit them. Jared points his gun at him immediately.

"What the hell?" Jared shouts when he figures out that it's a Seeker.

"I've been asking myself the same question all along," Ian shoots in.

"You brought a _Seeker_?"

"_Two _Seekers, actually. Wanda is not here anymore," Ian says and walks out of the car. Jared looks down at me in confusion, but keeps his gun pointed at Reader.

"It's not true," Melanie says. "But Ian thinks so."

"Why?"

"Long story. And Reader is with us. Where can we park the car?" Melanie asks and gaze at the gun Jared is holding. He lowers it slowly, still with his eyes pinned on Reader.

"Brandt, you can park the car behind that shed," Jared says and points his finger over to some place to the left. "And... Reader... can just come out of the car."

"As you wish," Reader says resigned and walks out of the car. The rest of us follow, while Brandt takes a seat behind the wheel and drives the car away. Ian is keeping a far distance from me.

"Why are you here?" Jared asks and looks suspicious at Reader.

"I brought your people back," Reader says.

"And now you want to go home and tell all the other Seekers where we are? Is that right?"

"Well, no-"

"Good, because we're not gonna let you. You are either staying or dying. Your choice," Jared says through clenched teeth.

Reader hesitates for a moment while gazing down at the gun once in a while. "Then I guess I'll stay."

"What about _her_?" Ian asks and points his head towards me. He crosses his arms, waiting for an answer. But nobody answers him.

Jared just looks at him sadly. It's a good thing it's still dark outside, because then we wouldn't have to see how beaten up Ian looks. Jared doesn't even know what has happened to any of us yet. He doesn't know that Jeb is dead.

Brandt finally comes back, and Jared starts leading us into the woods, with his gun discretely pointed at Reader. Ian is limping beside Jared the whole time, and looks behind himself once in a while whenever he thinks he hears a sound. Other times, he looks at me, waiting for me to attack him or something. Ian almost fall over once in a while, and Jared had to catch him one time.

"Ian, are you all right?" Jared asks while helping him up.

"Yeah," Ian groans. Brandt walks over to him and let him lay his arm around his shoulder for support. "Thanks."

Even in the darkness, I know that Jared frowns. Ian is not all right. But he doesn't want to admit it around me or Reader, no matter how obvious he makes it.

We walk for about an hour before I can see the cabins. It's morning, and the sun is peeking at us from behind the trees.

We are so far into the woods that it's no use in fearing that the Seekers will find us. The cabins are well camouflaged, and hidden under the trees. It must be so great to live like this. While living in the caves, there was not much time we spent outdoors. But here you can spend the day outside all day long.

A small stream is floating across the set of all together nine cabins. Cold, fresh water. Looks much more refreshing than the lukewarm, muddy water we drank in the caves.

We walk into one of the cabins, the largest one. Inside, there are dozens of humans waiting for us. I wave at Burns who stands in the corner talking to Lucina's kids.

Nate walks over to us with a big smile on his face. "I'm glad you made it out!" He cheers and give Ian a friendly punch in the shoulder, but Ian flinch away and let out a low groan. Nate looks a little taken aback at Ian, but when he really sees Ian, his eyes widen in shock. Jared does the same, along with the rest of the crowd. Some let out a low sigh, others whisper to each other. Ian pulls uncomfortable back and walks out the door. I'm about to follow him, but then I remember that he hates me. So Melanie follows him instead.

"Guess the Seekers aren't as kind as they want people to think," Nate mumbles. Then he turns to us again and looks at each of us and frowns. "Where is Jeb? And Sunny? And who is that?" He asks and points at Reader, who is almost hiding behind me.

"It's a Seeker!" A young girl behind him says and gasps, and the crowds reactions start over.

"What the hell?" Nate says and takes out a gun from his jacket and points it at Reader. Reader just rolls his eyes, but is clever enough to keep his mouth shut.

"They say he is with us, but I don't know..." Jared says.

"He is a Native, just like me and Burns," I say. "And he has said so himself; he is not a Seeker anymore."

"And you believe him?" Nate asks.

"I've seen it myself. He beat up another Seeker to protect Ian."

"It's a trick, Wanda. He might be a soul like you, Sunny and Burns, but he is still a Seeker. They can't be trusted."

"Where is Jeb and Sunny?" Someone shoots in, and I turn my head over to the voice. Lily comes out of the crowd and waits for an answer.

**Ian's POV**

I keep walking out into the woods, with the sun warming my back. Melanie is still following me, but I need to get away. I want to lay down somewhere and die, but she is not going to let me do that. So after another minute of walking, I finally sit down on a tree that has fallen over.

My legs hurts badly after the walking. I should have just found some place to sit right outside the cabins, but I wanted to get away from those people. Everyone I love is gone. Kyle, Wanda... Of course there is Melanie, Jamie and Jared, and they are great. But it's not enough. I need Wanda.

Melanie climbs up beside me and let her feet dangle above the ground.

"Don't worry about them, Ian. They are just a little taken aback, that's all," she says.

"That's an understatement," I mumble and look down. Then suddenly, a drop of water falls down on my hand, and I realize that I'm crying.

"What's wrong?" Melanie asks. I can feel her gazing at me, probably with concerned eyes.

"Why didn't we bring Wanda along?" I ask. Melanie is about to say something, but I cut her off. "That girl back there is _not _Wanda. She is a Seeker. I've seen it! She came into my cell and revealed herself."

Melanie is quiet for a while, and I'm hoping that she is considering the possibility that I'm right. But then she sights and takes my hand. It's a friendly gesture, a comforting gesture. "I know you won't believe me when I tell you that the girl back there _is _Wanda."

I just shake my head.

"They gave Wanda her body back after an attempt of fooling you to believe it was her while a Seeker took over it. And when she got her body back, it was so they could force her to give out information, while she was watching you..." Her voice cracks at the end, and she doesn't finish the sentence. But I know what she means.

It's weird. I haven't considered that possibility, just because there's no way the Seekers did that. I mean, they are all evil. They want the worst for everyone. And I though the worst for Wanda would be being sent away to another planet. But maybe the worst for Wanda would be watching me being killed slowly?

It makes sense. I can remember Wanda kneeling beside me in that room. But I pushed her away. And I remember calling her a monster. She wasn't there to hurt me, she was there to protect me.

"Oh, no," I sigh as I realize everything, and lay my head in my hands. "Oh, crap. She must be devastated."

Melanie sighs relieved beside me and jumps off the tree trunk. "I'm sure she'll be fine after you kiss her. Now let's go back."


	11. Held

11. Held

**Ian's POV**

When we get back to the cabins, there are people walking around outside, with their faces lowered in sorrow. Some are sitting for themselves up against a wall, some are holding each other. Comforting each other. I walk past Lily and Andy, both with a sadness drawn over their faces. Lucina sits by the stream with her kids, holding them. Jared is nowhere to be seen. He is probably in one of the cabins.

"So they've told them," Melanie mumbles while looking around herself. A lot of these people never knew Jeb, but they are still mourning. Wanda is sitting with Jamie, his head leaned down on her shoulder as tears stream down his face. For the first time I feel something about Jeb's death, and I waddle carefully over to Wanda and Jamie, sit down in front of them and wrap my arms around them as far as I can.

"I'm sorry," I murmur and kiss Wanda on the cheek. "I'm so sorry."

"Ian," she sighs relieved and lays her head on my shoulder.

Melanie comes up next to me and takes Jamie in her arms and holds him tight. She is mumbling something to him, but all I can hear is Wanda's breathing and quiet sobs.

I pull her away from me carefully, take a soft hold of her chin and look into her silvery eyes. She is here, with me. And we are alive.

I lean forward and kiss her gently on the lips for a long time. When she pulls back after a while, she smiles at me through the tears that is still streaming, and she carefully wrap her arms around me. There's nothing left to say, there is nothing left to do. We know how we feel, and we know what we want. There is no need to tell each other that. I love this soul that sits before me. More than anything in the whole universe.

And I that in that moment I know; I don't ever want to let her go.


	12. (trilogy?)

**_Author's note_  
**

**Well, yeah, that's it. Thank you for reading! I'll be super happy if you leave a review, whether you have something positive or negative to say, I need some critics :D**  
**But I'm thinking a trilogy. What do you guys think? Wanna know what happens with Ian and Wanda? And with their new Native soul, Reader? Let me know :)**

**xxx**

* * *

**And the trilogy is up... at least some of it. It's called "Fix You", and in this last part, Ian is determined that Reader has to die.**

**I'm working with it, but I'll post a new chapter every time I'll finish one, so if you're interested, you can read it here: /s/8835552/1/Fix-You**


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